The End of a World
by ayumi-neko-neko
Summary: A hauntingly beautiful Japanese village, a growing mass of darkness that threatens to swallow all worlds, death is around the corner... Mario and his friend's need to get what they need and fast before it's too late


The End of a World

The End of a World

We walked through the door to the next world with the burden of time collapsing on our shoulders. We knew we had to find the last of the pure hearts, the destruction of the worlds drawing nearer. The earth gave a tremor as the void in between dimensions grew bigger, the darkness was spreading.

When we appeared on the other side, we witnessed a hauntingly beautiful scene of a traditional Japanese village. As the black leaves blew in the wind, we were horrified to see that the Tear was bigger here than in the other worlds we had visited.

Tippi warned us that we must hurry, the end of this world could happen at any moment. The Darkness nearly filled the entire sky and lightning struck menacingly. Each few seconds the earth would shake as we approached the looming gate.

A crowned man approached us at that moment.

"Welcome my friends," He said, "Welcome to my castle, in order to win our most treasured possession you must defeat 100 of my soldiers." A bright light flashed and the 6th Pure Heart appeared in the King's hands. He continued,

"At each gate you must defeat each soldier in order to pass. Let the games begin!" The world shook again, and the void grew.

"We don't have much time… I fear, if we don't get the Pure heart fast… I don't know what will happen…" Said Tippi.

We fought through each soldier with ease, by the help of our strongest fighter. This place was eerie, and I did not like this one bit. The gloom did not ease the chills shuddering down my spine.

I looked up and with shock I could see nothing but Darkness. Each guard we fought made the tone of the atmosphere become increasingly more desperate and it seemed like the race would never end.

We approached the 15th gate and saw the king.

"Welcome my friends to the 15th gate, I have been waiting for you."

"I thought we had to beat 100 soldiers!" Said Tippi cautiously.

"You did but I've decided to give you a little break," he said, "but for a price, you must do me a little favor."

"Alright what will it be?" I said.

"You have to give me 100,000,000,000 Rubees." A sudden flashback of a mansion and people.

Once we approached the 25th gate, we stopped suddenly because once the soldier glimpsed us, he began to laugh in a horrifyingly outrageous manner.

"DOOM HAS COME UPON US!! THE END IS NEAR! THERE IS NO ESCAPE!!" He shrieked between hysterics.

The earth's trembling became closer together, a devastating earth quake, a roar in our ears… The soldier was still shrieking…

"N-no!! NO!!" Tippi screamed. Her voice was broken when the shaking got bigger and bigger. The Void's darkness began to grow and grow. The black began to swallow us, the earth was still shaking violently and we were blind.

A bright split second light shot all around as Tippi's voice faded.

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It was bright, I could hear people bustling peacefully around me… Yet, my eyes were closed…

"Wake up… Please… Mario.." I opened my eyes. We were back in Flipside.

"I somehow got us out of there…" She seemed to be in shock and her voice trembled. She fluttered toward the door. "Hm, the door is still here… What do you think is on the other side? The Pure Heart must have survived, if that world still exists. Do you think we should?... Yeah, yeah I think so.. Let's go back.. We need that heart."

I opened the door, and the scene formed before my eyes. But to my utmost horror… There was nothing. I could feel it. The presence of this world lingering… The hauntingly beautiful scene, and yet, all I could hear was the music of destruction. Still that same slow, calming, tone, but with a far more sinister sound to it. The end of a world.

All around me… Was white. Not black. White. Far ahead, I could see nothing. Around me, nothing. And all I could think about… Was the 100 guards and the king who was sleeping peacefully in his bed without a single idea that his world was ending… His existence… Dreaming happily, but death looming over them all.

"Mario… I can feel the presence of it… but… It's faint… Let's find it."

There was a faint path… and the music got far more heart chilling. As we continued on through what was supposed to be the gates, I noticed that made my veins wrench even more… Debris… The pointed tops of the Japanese houses, the stairs to the gates remains. Crumbled, dead.

It seemed we were walking forever… Finally I saw something in the distance… On the ground.

"Mario!! What is that?? Could it be?"

The pure heart… cold stone, not a single light of brilliance they usually gave off… It hadn't survived.

© S.faletti (disclaimer: Super Paper Mario belongs to the game's respective owners.)


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